US News

Daredevils skydive 33,000 feet over Europe’s largest mountain

Skydivers in flight, high-altitude delight!

Check out these fearless skydivers rip through the sky as they plummet 33,000 feet in an intense high-altitude jump over Europe’s largest mountain, Barcroft reports.

French residents Fred Fugen, 34, and Vincent Reffet, 29, braved freezing skies above the French Alps when they performed what’s known as a “HALO” jump over the massive peak of Mont Blanc.

Fred Fugen and Vincent Reffet jump 33,000 feet above the Mont Blanc in France.Barcroft Media

In order to have enough room to clear the 15,781-foot mountain, the daredevils leaped from such an extreme height that the curvature of the Earth could be seen in many of their pictures.

A HALO jump, which stands for High Altitude Low Opening, is when skydivers plunge out of a plane from an altitude between 28,000 and 35,060 feet with an extra-long free-fall time before the parachute is opened, according to space-affairs.com.

The additional free-fall time allows Fugen and Reffet to twist and tumble through the air as gravity tightens its grasp on them.

They even manage to come helmet to helmet as one of the skydivers stands up straight while the other amazingly taps him on the head while free-falling upside down.

The pair spent a year-and-a-half in Annecy, France, preparing for their death-defying leap, according to Barcroft.

1 of 10
Fred Fugen and Vincent Reffet jump at 33,0000 feet above the Mont Blanc in France May 31st.
Fred Fugen and Vincent Reffet jump at 33,0000 feet above Mont Blanc in France on May 31.Barcroft Media
Barcroft Media
Advertisement
Barcroft Media
Barcroft Media
The train preparing for the Mont Blanc jump in Austria May 12th.
The pair preparing for the Mont Blanc jump in Austria on May 12.Barcroft Media
Advertisement
The pair, shown here in Austria, spent a year and a half preparing for their jump at Mont Blanc.
The pair, shown here in Austria, spent 18 months preparing for their jump at Mont Blanc.Barcroft Media
Fugen trains in Austria.
Fugen trains in Austria. Bacroft Media
Advertisement